Heat shield



1y2.;1946.' yam 2 403,2 3

HEAT SHI-ELD Filed Jan. L9, .1944

a ROGER "0., YOUNG INVE OR ATroR YS Patented July 2, 1946 HEAT SHIELD Roger D. Young, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 19, 1944, Serial No. 518,823

3 Claims. (01. 20-2) This invention relates to a heat shield and more particularly to a heat-protective enclosure for workmen.

In the performance of many work operations, the workman is subjected to intense heat. One of these operations is the molding of optical glass to form lenses wherein the glas is heated at high temperatures to obtain sufficient fluidity of the lass for the ready shaping of the same in a mold. For this purpose, the glass is usually inserted in a gas-fired furnace and heated to a plastic state, at which time, the glass is removed from the furnace and placed in a mold by the workman. In the performance of this operation, the one side of the furnace is open to permit the transfer of the glass to and from the furnace and the workmans face and hands are subjected to the intense heat emitted from the open side of the It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a heat shield in the form of an enclosure surrounding the workman which is provided with means for circulating cooling air through the enclosure and about the workman 35 while permitting the use of the hands and feet of the workman exteriorly of the enclosure. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the enclosure is formed of heat-insulating material and is equipped with a transparent viewing plate topermit the workman to inspect the work operation and also with flexible sleeves receiving the arms of the workman to allow the workman the free use of his hands exteriorly of the enclosure,

an opening in the lower edge of the enclosure 45 permitting the foot of the workman to be extended therethrough to operate foot-manipulated means attached to a furnace or other heat-emitting machine. To prevent the absorption of the heat by the air within the enclosure, the enclothe conduit into the shield.

sure is provided with mean for forcing cooling air through the enclosure and about the workman. As the temperature of the air passing into the enclosure can be controlled by any suitable means, the air within the enclosure may be maintained at temperatures conducive to the bodily comfort of the workman.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the heat shield.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the shield showing a conduit, forming a portion of the cooling system, attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the shield showing the,

conduit and the means for circulating air through Fig. 4 i a side view of the shield with of the conduit broken away.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing wherein the numeral l0 indicates the heat shield or enclosure having a door I I attached thereto by hinges l2.

To shield the workman from the heat emitted by a furnace or other machine, the enclosure I0 is formed of heat-insulating'material and therefore the bottom wall or floor M, the side wall l5, the back wall l6, and the top wall or roof II, as well as the door H, are preferably of wood construction. The front wall l8 faces the furnace and is preferably formed of asbestos material.

In the performance of many work operations, it i necessary to place the enclosure in close proximity to a furnace, or like heat-emitting machine, to permit the workman the use of his hands to manipulate tools for treating the heated article or the use of his feet to operate levers attached to the furnace. To permit the workman to observe the work operation performed by his hands, a. transparent viewing plate I9 is carried in the upper portion of the front wall l8, formed of a plurality of panels 2|, 22, and 23, and this portion of the wall is angularly inclined to the lower portion of the wall, formed of a plurality of panels 24, 25, and 26, and overhangs the same. By forming the enclosure in this manner, the plate I9 faces the site of the work operation and the workman may readily inspectthe heated article for manipulating the article.

For the purpose of permitting the workman the use of his hands exteriorly of the enclosure, the front wall of the same is formed with apertures through which the workman may extend his arms and, if desired, two sleeves 21 and 28 of flexible heat-insulating material may be attached about the apertures to protect the arms of the workman. The sleeves are loose fitting and perregulating mean associated with the cooling Bl mit the unrestricted movement ofthe arms of the a portion Workman during the manipulation of tools by the exteriorly disposed hands of the workman. The ends of the sleeves are gathered about the wrists of the workman by elastic bands stitched to the material of the sleeves which prevents displacement of the sleeves on the workman during the work operation.

As it is desirable inmany cases .to operate footmanipulated levers, and the like, attached'to a furnace, or other heat-emitting machine, during the work operation, an opening 29 is had in 5 Y e From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I able to attain the objects of my invention Y and provide a new and improved heat shield the panels 25 and 26 to permit the workman to by his foot.

extend a leg therethrough to operate the levers As the enclosure in must'beplacedadjacentj. the furnace, or machine, during the work opera-- ti n t p m t t m u a iqnefith Mim .i 1; heated and the operation of foot-manipulated means the air surrounding the enclosure absorbs the heat and transmits the heat to the air within the enclosure. .The resultant rise in temperature or the air within the. enclosure is the source of considerable discomfort to'the workman.

Although any means'maylbe used'to maintain the air confined within the enclosure relatively cool; in the preferred embodiment of the invention, these means comprise a conduit. orpipe. 3| leadingfrom the outsideof the building or from a portion of the building in which the air is'relatively cool to the enclosure. The pipe 3|, in the form of the invention illustrated," extends through an opening formed'in' a' wall 132i of the building. and is led into theenclosure through an opening formed inthe'panel-24 To'circu late cooling air through. the enclosure, an electrically-operated pump 33 is carried within the p pe"3l;".j i

1 It will beiapparent-that', uponactuation of the pump 33,'-the pump will draw'cool aiIQiHtOY the inlet end'34.of the pipe 'andqcause theair'to flow 40 through the pipe andinto theenclosure; 'A-continual circulationof coolair will-be had through the enclosure and about-the workman as the air within theenclosure will be forced through an opening 30 in the roof 1! and the opening 29 in the panels =25 and-2B. In this manner, the heated air'will' beprevented from-entering the-enclosure and cooling air will flow freely about the workman to insure his comfort d ri t work operation. H

r Whilethis arrangement of the cooling system is atisfactory when atmospheric-conditions, permit coolair to be drawn into the inletiend 34 of the cold or heated outside air through the pipe 3|. Cool air may'then bedrawn into the pipe 3 l'through a pipe 36 connected thereto andleading from a portion of the building in which the air is of the desired temperature. To prevent the flow of the air into the inlet end31 of the pipe 36 the same is equipped with a valve or damper 38 which may berotated to a'closedposition to prevent the passage of the air therethrough.

air from said sources.

It willbe apparent that the flow of air from the outside'or the inside of the building may be controlled by any suitable means for regulating the movement of the dampers 35 and 38 to other positions than those described and for decreasing or increasing the action of the pump. In

this manner, it is possible to control the temperature of the air within the enclosure accord- .ing to the desires of the workman which insures r the comfort of the workman in the performance of the work operation.

having means for circulating air therethrough and about the workman. Various modifications can of course, be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Inc. device for protecting a workman operating a heat-emitting machine comprising an enclosure surrounding the workman; means for circulating air through said enclosure; a pair of sleeves carried by a wall of said enclosure ad'- jacent said machine for receiving the arms of the workman to permit the use of the hands of the workman exteriorly of said enclosure, said wall having an opening adjacent the lower edge ried by said enclosure for ingress and egress of i the workman to said enclosure; a pair of sleeves carried by said enclosure adjacent said machine for receiving'the arms of the workman to permit the use of the hands of the workman exteriorly of said enclosure; a transparent plate carried by said enclosure for viewing the work operation; means for circulating air through said enclosure from at least one of a'plurality of air sources; and means for selectively regulating the flow of 3. In a device for protecting a workman operating a heat-emitting machine comprising an enclosure for the workman, said enclosure having a wall adjacent said machine with an. opening formed in the lower edge thereof whereby the workman may extend a leg therethrough to operate foot-manipulated means of said machine, said wall divided into an upper portion angularly inclined outwardly from the lower portion; a transparent plate carried by the upper portion of said wall and facing the site of'the work operation to permitinspection of the work operation by the workman; a pair of sleeve carried by said wall below said plate for receiving the arms of the workman to permit the use of the hands of the workman exteriorly of said enclosure; and means for circulating air through said enclosure. ROGER D. YOUNG. 

